Fullmetal Alchemist: Apocalypse
by Zephyr Ataka
Summary: Alternate movie ending and continues from there. Through a twist of fate, Ed stays in Amestris. He and Al set out to destroy anything related to the Philosopher's Stone. Little does he know that there are others who seek to stop him. EdWin, Royai. R
1. Chapter 1: Homecoming

DISCLAIMER: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist. I don't own any of the characters or the original story. Please note that I don't feel like sticking this on the top of every chapter and so this pertains to ALL chapters written for this fanfic. Same goes for spoilers.

SPOILERS: This fanfic takes places after the end of the anime series, starting near the end of the movie and continuing from there. As such, there'll definitely be spoilers for the movie and the end of the anime. I haven't read the manga, although I plan to. As such, characters from that storyline may be added in the future, although they'll be included in a way that will fit in with the storyline. Thus I'll make a note otherwise if there's a spoiler for the manga.

NOTES: This is my first fanfic, please R&R. Comments/criticism are welcome, flames are not.

Again, this fanfic will start near the end of the movie. I wasn't really satisfied with the way it ends (and thus the way it ends the anime series), thus came the ideas for writing this fanfic. Starting right where I want to change the movie would be pretty confusing, so this first chapter will encompass a section of the movie before that point. It's more for reference, but there will be additions/slight deviations from the movie (to get behind the minds of the characters and to set up later story threads).

I'll try to update as soon as I finish each chapter. So far, they seem to take about a week to do, but there's no guarantee of that, especially if my other workload is pretty intense. If you're desperate, you can check the progress of each chapter on my profile page ;p

**Chapter 1: Homecoming**

_Wrath's gone…but I did it! _thought Al. _I opened the Gate! Brother should be coming through any moment now!_

Al's elation at opening the gate soon turned to confusion, then dread as a small flying machine – it had to be a machine, coming from the other side of the Gate – burst out of the Gate, followed by a larger one. Pure evil and malice radiated from the dark splotches that covered the larger of the two arrivals. _Th-that thing…_

The monstrosity glowed, a purple alchemic circle pulsing into existence as explosions peppered the city below. Another circle formed and this time explosions punctured the air, seeking to envelop the little red airship in front of it. The sound jolted Al out of his stunned state. Coming to his senses, he started running after them.

_I brought this to our world – another of my mistakes brought to life by the Gate. _The younger Elric remembered the horror when Izumi first told him of their failure to bring Mom back, as well as the price he and his brother had to pay for it. _I have to stop it before it reaches the surface, before it can bring destruction to Central!_

* * *

Winry stood up and dusted herself off. She and Sheska had just fallen down a pit that had opened up beneath them while they were explorer the old Fuhrer's mansion. She looked around. Apparently they were standing in the same ancient city that they were trying to find. Noticing a large object flying above the city, she whispered, "What is that?"

"Winry!"

She continued to stare up at the flying contraption as Ed's brother slid down a nearby slope and came up to the two girls. "Al…what are they?"

"I don't know. All I did was open up the gate…"

Winry turned to look at Al. "What?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Al was interrupted by Sheska. She yelled out, pointing to the sky. A smaller flying machine plummeted out of the sky, passing over their heads before crashing into the street. As the smoke started clearing, they could make out a body lying in the middle of the wreckage.

Winry stepped forward. _Is that…_

* * *

Moaning, Ed pushed himself to his knees. "Landing still needs some work."

"Edward…" The voice was but a whisper, and despite not hearing it for over two years, it was as familiar as his own. He looked up and found _her_ standing in front of him. _Winry…_

She put on a small smile, tears misting over her eyes. "I was wondering when you'd show."

"Winry…" The words were barely out of his mouth before she rushed over and hugged him. Ed blushed furiously, staring at the ground in front of him. _I really hope this means that she missed me as much as I missed her._

"Welcome home."

"Thanks."

"Brother!"

Looking up once again, he spotted two more familiar souls. "Sheska…Al"

Al smiled warmly. "I knew I'd see you again."

"Yeah."

Another purple transmutation circle pulsed into existence on the side of Eckhart's airship. Blowing a hole in the roof of the cavern that housed the ancient city, it shot towards to the surface. The shockwave of the blast startled the Elric brothers out of their reunion. "What is that brother?"

"It's a rocket powered airship, and it's armed. It came to conquer this world and use any power they can take from us to fuel their own war."

Al looked away. "It's my fault."

"So you're the one…you made the gate on this side"

Gasping in shock, Al headed for the nearest passage out of the ancient city.

"Al!" The older Elric got up to chase after his brother but collapsed after taking a step. Looking back, he found that the makeshift leg created by his father had broken. _What am I going to do now?_

Winry came up and kneeled down beside Ed, setting down the large suitcase that she was carrying at her side. "Same old Ed. Home for five minutes and you're off on another mission. But you can't go to battle with that arm and leg, can you?" Undoing the clasps, she opened the suitcase to reveal a brand new automail arm and leg.

Sheska let out a small gasp of surprise. "You've been lugging those around this whole time?"

Ed took a look at the set, slightly doubtful, as his childhood friend pulled out the metal arm. "That's great, but I'm not so sure they'll fit. I've grown you know."

"Who do you think you're dealing with here?"

* * *

Wielding a scoped rifle in place of her trusty twin pistols, Riza Hawkeye took careful aim and placed a single shot in the small crack of the helmet of one enemy combatant. Around her, fellow soldiers fired their rifles rapidly, their multiple shots making up for their lack of precision.

Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda peered over their barrier. "Who are these bastards?" A bullet punctured the bag just below his head and the pair ducked back down."Damn it!" More bullets hit the wall in front of him as he fired his rifle back at the enemy.

A large figure slid in front of the barricade and pulled off his suit. Pink sparkles shimmered around the perfectly sculptured body.

"Behold, my beautiful artistic alchemy!"

Using his spiked knuckles, the Strong Arm Alchemist punched the ground with both fists. His 'artistic' alchemy sprouted numerous busts of his head from the ground, smashing into the invading army. Taking fire, he jumped back behind the safety of the military barricade.

Kain Feury cried out in relief. "Major!"

Keeping his calm, Vato Falman pulled Feury back just before he got hit by a flying piece of rubble. "Major Armstrong, who are they?"

"They looked like the same ones that were in Lior…something's changed"

Another soldier called out, catching their attention. "Officers! Behind you!"

The officers at the front turned around. They found over two dozen of their metal clad enemies climbing down from the building behind them.

"Fire!"

Bullets peppered the building and anything else that was on that side. Enemy foot soldiers lost their grip and fell to the ground, motionless.

The threat from behind dealt with, the officers at the barricade turned their attention back to the front. However, it was the man walking towards them on their side of the barrier that caught their attention. Walking at an unhurried pace, the man calmly looked past the sandbag wall and snapped his fingers. An explosion ignited amidst the enemy formation, blowing many of the armored adversaries into smithereens.

Havoc nearly dropped his cigarette in surprise. "He's back."

"Heh-heh, welcome to the party general!" Breda called out.

Getting straight to business, Roy Mustang started issuing orders. "Warrant Officer Falman, take a squad and defend the assembly hall."

"Sir!"

"Sergeant Feury, inform the mechanized division. We need a tank unit in Central, now! Crush their ranks go!"

"Yes sir!"

Havoc whispered to Breda. "You know, he gives a lot of orders for an enlisted man."

"Lieutenants Havoc and Breda." Both men snapped to attention.

"Sir!"

"The command center's our last stronghold. Tell the generals to stop wasting time and order all their divisions to come defend it."

"Right!"

Mustang turned to regard the Strong Arm Alchemist. "Major Armstrong, you know, if we're gonna get to that aircraft…"

"Then we'll need a way to fly, got it."

Turning back, Roy viewed the only remaining officer. Riza gave him a small smile in return.

"We've been waiting for you sir."

* * *

"Okay, try standing up."

Still aching from the reattachments, Ed stood up and tested his new leg. "You know, I think sometimes you enjoy causing me pain."

Sheska, watching during the whole operation, commented. "Perfect!"

Winry wiped the sweat off of her brow with her arm and stood back to admire her latest masterpieces. "Considering all the guess work, I think I did a good job, don't cha think?"

"More ships are coming through, hide somewhere!"

Wintry watched her childhood friend as he ran after the two newly arrived airships, not even taking the time to see if the girls followed his advice. _He really hasn't changed._

* * *

Destroying the two new ships in the air above Central, Edward Elric clapped his hands and transmuted his coat into a parachute. Landing in an area of the city that seemed to have taken a beating, he found his brother wandering the streets nearby. Al seemed shocked at the devastation surrounding him.

"Al! Hey, I'm surprised you found your way to the surface."

"It was Wrath, he showed me all the ways out beforehand."

"Wrath!?"

"That's right; I made that permanent gate by transmuting him."

Ed gasped in surprise. "Al…" He barely had time to process the information before a nearby building exploded. A scream cut through the air, startling the young alchemist out of his shock.

Al stared at the ruined building in shock. The arm of a young child stuck out of the rubble, lying in a pool of blood. A brown teddy bear lay nearby. The younger Elric cried out in frustration and clapped his hands, running forward. However, his brother laid a firm grip on his shoulder, preventing him from touching the debris.

"No, you can't bring back the dead Al, trying just causes more pain."

Al collapsed on the ground, still in shock. "Brother, is all this…my fault? Why's it all turning out this way? I just – I wanted –"

"I know, you were just trying to bring be back home again Al, for whatever reason, wrath wanted to help. The sacrifice was his choice. The other Al wanted to get me home too, to feel like he did something meaningful. And Noah wanted a place to belong. We all had our excuses and they all seemed right to us. No one thought it would lead to suffering like this. I know that…none of us was looking to start a war. But still, a war is what we got, so all of us take the blame. Do you understand? That's why we have to make it right, and defend this world, as long as we're alive. We can't keep living like our own dreams are all that matter, okay?"

Looking up, Al saw determination in his brother's eyes. Nodding with his own resolve, the thirteen year old boy stood up. _He's right; I can't sit here feeling sorry for myself. We've got to take care of the problems ourselves._

* * *

Roy snapped his fingers, the ignition cloth of his gloves creating a spark. Modifying the oxygen content of the air surrounding one of the metal invaders, the general created a small explosion at point blank range, destroying the suit of armor. Nearby, Riza fended off more of the enemy,firing her pistol left and right. Only a single shot was needed to dispatch each target.Finished with his own adversary, Mustang hurried over to Major Armstrong and his squad.

Seeing a shadow, his fellow alchemist looked up. "Hm?"

"How's it coming?"

He gestured towards their makeshift balloon. "This is the best we could manage, given all we have."

"It's good enough." Kneeling, the Flame Alchemist ignited a spark and created a steady flame at his fingertip, heating the air inside the balloon. As it started to rise, he jumped inside the basket.

Finally noticing that her superior officer was missing, Lieutenant Hawkeye ran back to where Armstrong and his group stood. _No! He's going alone, again! _

She tried to run after him but Armstrong stopped her from getting closer. "Easy now."

Yelling, Riza gazed up in despair. "Stop! What are you doing?"

Looking down, Roy found his trusted aid staring back up at him. "Sorry lieutenant, only room for one."

"You liar! Come back!"

This time, Mustang only waved in response and turned his attention back towards the airship. Riza tried to stop the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. _You idiot! How can I protect you this time if I'm not there with you!?_

* * *

The Elric brothers clapped their hands and pressed them down to the stone roof. The portion that they were standing on shot towards the airship, forming a pillar. Al grinned at his brother. "All this time, you haven't lost your touch."

"Give me a little credit Al."

A circle formed on the side of the airship and a gun formed into existence. Firing, it hit the pillar and nearly dislodged the boys. They clung to the edges, barely hanging on to it. The gun fired once again, but was cut short by an explosion that destroyed it.

"If you're gonna strike do it now, Fullmetal."

Looking over, the Elrics found Mustang floating beside them in a balloon. Ed called out, "General!"

Climbing back up, the two young alchemists clapped their hands. Bullets rained down on them but stopped once their new pillar impacted the ship.

Mustang jumped off his balloon and started running up this new pillar, the Elrics just behind him. "Way to bring your trouble home with you Fullmetal, really nice."

"Huh, smart remarks already? Nice patch by the way, though it should have covered your mouth too."

Al grinned. "Sorry sir, ignore him."

Another cannon started firing at them, and the boys flinched. Mustang stopped and destroyed it with another snap. Two more turrets formed, but the Flame Alchemist was able to destroy them before they shot a single bullet. Yet another gun emerged as they reached the airship, its deadly hail forcing the trio to take cover behind a pillar. Peaking out for just a moment, Roy dispatched it easily, creating a hole in the side of the airship in the process. He used the brief lull in the fighting to speak.

"No go Fullmetal, I'll guard the entrance, that's why I came."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Ed ran inside.

"Hold on brother, wait for me." Not wanting to be left behind, Al hurried after him.

Thus the next cannon to appear was the only thing around to witness Mustang whisper, "I always knew you were alive."

* * *

Using Alphonse's unique alchemy, the brothers defeated Eckhart by turning her armored minions back on her. They headed back outside, stepping through the hole made by Mustang. The general noticed that Ed paused just outside the exit.

"So what now?"

Ed clapped his hands to perform a transmutation, but Al interrupted him. "Brother! Behind you!"

Turning around, the older Elric found Eckhart crawling on the floor towards him. "What do you want now? You can't take on all three of us."

The head of the Thule society laughed, but was cut short as she coughed blood onto the floor. Wiping it from her mouth, she glanced back up, her last words filled with malice. "I just wanted to see the despair on your face before I die. This ship is fused with Huskisson's bomb and is set to self-destruct. I'll take you…and the rest of this city with me…to hell!"

Seeing her die, the older Elric reacted quickly, clapping his hands and pressing them to the floor of the wing. He completely sheared off the section where Mustang and Al stood.

Al tried to run over, but Roy stopped him. "Brother! Brother what are you doing!?"

Ed glanced at them solemnly. "That should be enough alchemic material to get yourselves down."

The general asked the question the younger Elric was afraid to ask. "What about you?"

"I'm going to take this airship as far away as I can. Hopefully, it'll be far enough."

"Why you don't have to go this!"

"I missed everyone back in the other world. If there's even a slight chance that I can save everyone here, I'll sacrifice myself to do it if I have to. Do one thing for me. You've got to destroy the Gate that's on this side."

Al yelled out as Ed turned back inside the airship. "What about Winry, don't you know she misses you too?"

Ed raised his right arm. "Tell her thanks, she always made the best."

The older Elric disappeared as Al called out. "Wait, brother no! I just got you back, you can't go yet!"

Ed ignored his brother's cries as he made his way back to the bridge of the airship. _I've got to fly this thing into space. Anywhere else and I risk devastating another area of Amestris. It's what the rockets where made for in the first place, so it should work…_

* * *

Winry and Sheska looked up at the airship, seeing a small speck detaching itself. All of a sudden, the airship boosted further into the sky.

Tears of sadness misted Winry's eyes. "That's Ed, I know it." She paused, watching it grow smaller as it flew higher. All of a sudden, the dot marking the airship burst into a small sun. Her eyes widened briefly before she had to cover them. _Ed! T-this time he's gone for good..._ The girl sank to the floor, this time letting the tears of grief flow freely down her face.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm evil for leaving such a cliffhanger at the end of the first chapter…


	2. Chapter 2: Explanations

A/N: I actually finished this chapter before the last one, since the first chapter required a lot of referencing with the movie. Just don't expect the next one to be out so quick…

Special thanks to Very Swampeh for the first review.

Sorry for the multiple postings, there were several formatting errors translating from the original document to this website.

**Chapter 2: Explanations**

Envy woke up in what appeared to be a town square. Opening his eyes, he noticed a shiny pile of familiar spears, stacked before him. _Longinus. I can't believe those pathetic _humans_ captured me! And they didn't even use alchemy! _ Still in dragon form, he noticed that his wounds were healed.

A whisper-like voice called out, "About time you woke up, my little pet."

Startled, Envy uncoiled himself and looked about for the speaker. Finding the guy in the alcove of a nearby building, Envy studied him. The man was frail, thin, and very pale. Skeletal hands stuck out of a brown, hooded cloak made out of a lightweight material. He stared back at Envy calmly, without a hint of fear. _I'll show this human why he should be scared._ He bared his fangs with a hiss. "Who are you?"

Instead of flinching, the man stepped forward. His lips barely moved but somehow managed that distinct, phantom-like voice. "You should have more respect for the one who pulled you from the Gate." Envy snapped his mouth shut and gazed disbelievingly at the man. "I am Famine. You may call me your new Master."

_Master!? No _human _owns me!_ Envy reared back to strike at Famine, only to find the man suddenly lunging towards him. He hesitated in surprise, and in that split second the man closed the gap between them. Looking down, the dragon saw Famine stretch his arm out. The slight touch on his stomach barely had time to register in the homunculus' mind before he collapsed, unable to move.

Retracting his hand, Famine spoke. "Hard to do much more than breathe, when you're out of energy. Remember this, my human form may seem weak, but I am capable of so much more."

Envy's energy returned and he turned to regard Famine. "What are you?"

"I am your Master. That is all that should matter. Now, return to your human form and gather these spears."

The homunculus returned to his black, spiky-haired persona in the blink of an eye. "You know, you look strangely familiar."

"This body once belonged to the one you knew as Gluttony. Return to your _original_ human form." Envy glared at him for a second before obeying the command. Thin lips curled into a partial smile. "Good. We should leave this place before they come to destroy the Gate. Don't forget the spears." Turning, Famine started heading out of the ruins of the ancient city.

Envy gathered the bundle of spears in his arms and followed Famine. _Just who is this guy? I guess I'll play along…for now._

* * *

The sun was setting, casting a red glow across the evening sky as Winry ran down the street. Earlier, she'd gotten a call at the inn where she was staying at. _How did they know I was staying there? Guess that's the resources of the military for you._

'flash'

Winry picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Winry? Riza Hawkeye speaking. We've found Edward."

Her heart skipped a beat. _I thought I lost him for good._

"We brought him to the military hospital but he's still unconscious. I know you'll probably want to be there when he wakes up."

"Thanks. I'll head over there right now." _He's still alive. I can't believe he's still alive._

"Okay. Oh, and you'll probably need to bring your tools. He's going to need a little repair work."

Her hands trembling and heart beating furiously, the mechanic set the phone back into its cradle. Tears of relief rushed down her face as she sank to the floor and cried for the second time that day. _Same old Ed. Of course he manages to damage the automail._

'flash'

Reaching a corner, Winry paused to take a look around. _Let's see…which way was the hospital? It's been years since I've been there. In fact, the last time I was when…that Ed! I can't believe he wrecked my automail again!_

As she started running again in what she thought was the direction of the hospital, she spotted a familiar shade of blond. He was carrying what seemed to be a heavy bundle, following an old man wearing a hooded cloak. _If I didn't know better, I'd say that guy was Edward. He looks almost like an older version of him. _Her next thought came unbidden. _Ed's much cuter though._ Winry instantly blushed; she was glad no one would really notice it as she continued towards the hospital.

* * *

Groaning, Edward Elric muttered, "Anyone see the size of the zeppelin that hit me?"

"Sir, it looks like he's waking up."

"Brother!"

Opening his eyes, Ed found himself propped up on a hospital bed. He managed to form a weak smile as he spotted Al's beaming face. Mustang and Hawkeye were there as well. "Hey Al."

"Fullmetal, glad you're back," Mustang said. "Those were some fireworks you put on."

"Thanks. They're one of a kind." Al and Riza stared at the other two people in the room. They were actually being nice to each other for once! However, such thoughts were banished at the older Elric's next words. "Oh yeah, what was with the eye patch again? Did you want to be Fuhrer so much that you're copying Bradley? Or are you aiming for the pirate look?"

"Watch your mouth short stuff. It's been a two years but I'm still your superior officer."

Ed's temple pulsed. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT HE COULD JOIN THE FLEA CIRCUS?"

Riza and Al both sweat dropped.

Roy smirked. "You're the one missing a leg."

"What?" Edward looked down. Sure enough, all that remained of his automail leg was a few pieces of scrap clinging to the socket. His right arm was in one piece, although it didn't seem like he could move it. The rest of his body wasn't in much better shape, seeing that bandages covered various parts of his body. So he clenched his left hand, getting ready to strike Mustang in the face.

Riza decided to step in before their argument progressed any further. "Edward, the General did not say that." Roy's smirk quickly disappeared as she scolded him too. "And General, you should know better than that."

"Sorry."

Riza turned to the bedridden alchemist. "Now Edward, care to tell us where you've been and what you've been doing these past two years?"

That calmed Ed instantly. The others were shocked at the abrupt change. He briefly considered not saying anything, but decided that it would cause more trouble than it was worth. He sighed. "There's a lot I need to explain and I only want to say it once. There's some important information for alchemists to know, so it'd be nice if Teacher and Major Armstrong were here as well. They're the only other alchemists that I trust. And Winry… she deserves to hear this too." He stopped, confused. _Why'd I just include her too?_

"Fullmetal, Izumi passed away a few months ago."

"Oh…"

"What?" Al wondered. "But when I left she was just fine!"

Riza laid a hand on his shoulder. "She probably didn't want you to see her suffering during her final days." There was a brief moment of awkward silence before she spoke again. "Winry's already on her way. I called her before you woke up. I guess you can start as soon as I retrieve Major Armstrong."

The hospital room doors burst open and the room brightened. "Did I hear someone call for me, Alex Louis Armstrong?" Pink sparkles surrounded the head that finally noticed the occupant of the hospital bed. In a few large strides, he closed the gap and enveloped the Fullmetal Alchemist in a bone crushing hug. "Edward Elric! It's been two long years since you disappeared. But I, for one, had no doubt that you would someday return alive!"

Ed barely managed to breathe. "That'll change…if you keep…crushing me…like this."

Releasing Ed from his hug, Armstrong held the younger alchemist out at arm's length. "Look at you. It's hard to tell, but I think you've grown since I last saw you." He put Edward back down.

Unsure whether or not to take that last comment as an insult, Ed settled back onto the bed. His return to comfort was cut short, however, by a wrench that seemingly appeared out of nowhere to strike his head. The wrench clattered to the floor as everyone turned to find his blond mechanic standing by the door.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Edward Elric! I can't believe you have the nerve to ask that!" Winry opened her toolkit and began pulling another wrench out. "It's been less than a day and you've already managed to completely destroy one of my masterpieces!"

_Uh-oh. _Edward quickly used his left hand to grab his automail arm, hoping to use it as a shield against the incoming wrench. "I don't need another near-death experience today!"

"Why you…" The automail mechanic paused. She wanted to through the wrench, but if Ed managed to block it with his arm, she would end up further damaging her remaining masterpiece. Winry pocketed the wrench for later use and sniffed, turning to head back out. "I guess you like those flimsy replacements so much that you want them back. You can go to whoever made them if you want a new leg."

Winry's words had the desired effect and she smiled to herself. "Hey! That's not fair! I only used those because they didn't even have automail where I was. If it wasn't for my dad, I wouldn't even have had an arm and a leg. Literally."

Al's eyes shot open. "Dad was there too? Why didn't he come with you? Where's Dad now?"

"H-He was the price to open the Gate…"

"Oh."

"Price?" Winry said, confused.

"What gate?" Mustang asked, equally puzzled.

"Everyone's here, so I guess that I'll start at the beginning." The older Elric sighed and settled onto his bed. As Hawkeye went to close the door and lock it, Ed began. "Have you ever wondered how Teacher, Al and I perform alchemy without the use of a transmutation circle?"

Mustang replied, "Yes, but what does that have to do with your disappearance?"

"Shut up Sparky and you'll find out."

Riza poked Roy with her elbow before he could respond. "Go on."

"Well, it's because we've seen the Gate. And that's because of the one other thing that we all have in common."

Armstrong thought about it. "Human transmutation."

"Exactly. The Gate opens whenever a human transmutation takes place. That's all I really knew about the Gate until I crossed over to the other side."

Winry was shocked. "You went…to the other side of this Gate?"

Her childhood friend nodded. "Al doesn't remember, but he used himself as well as the Philosopher's Stone to pull me back. For simplicity's sake, all I'll say is that this Stone was the one created at Lior. Anyway, once I came to, Rose told me what Al did and I performed another transmutation with myself as the sacrifice to bring him back, body, mind and soul. However, I was surprised to find myself back on the other side of the Gate after the transmutation instead of inside it, like Al was." He paused. "Are you guys with me so far?"

Everyone but Hawkeye nodded. "Just one question. How did Hohenheim get there?"

"Dante was the person pulling the strings of the homunculi. I think she sent him over there before she performed the same trick on me when I confronted her. I managed to run into Dad on the other side, and he explained everything to me. He told me that we were in an alternate world, one where a science called 'physics' was developed in the place of alchemy. Apparently, alternate versions of everyone exist in that world. I ran into people who looked almost exactly like Al, Maes and Gracie. They even had the same names and personalities. Maes was a police officer in that world. He and Gracie weren't married, but he definitely had a crush on her." Ed smiled. It was one of the few good memories that he would take from his time in the other world.

Armstrong struggled to wrap his mind around that concept. "A world without alchemy…"

"Uh-huh. The technology in that world's a lot more advanced than ours, even though they don't have automail. Those planes, um, airships, that came through the Gate were built using the laws of physics."

Winry's eyes lit up and she let out a small squeal. She rushed over and grabbed the alchemist's real hand with both of hers, wriggling in delight. Her toolkit hit the floor, forgotten. "Really? You've got to tell me all about it! How it moves, how it gets off the ground, what it uses for power. What else did they invent over there?"

Ed chuckled. "I don't really know all the details, but…" He paused, seeing the impatient look on Roy's face. "Now's not the time. I'll tell you all about it later."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Ed suddenly realized that the warmth he felt in his hand was because Winry was holding it and he blushed, ducking down to cover it. _I can't believe she's holding my hand. I can't believe I actually _like _it._

Having received Edward's promise, Winry finally recognized what she was doing and dropped his hand as if it was made of fire. _I can't believe I was holding his hand like that. I can't believe he _let _me._

Unaware of the parallel thoughts running through the two people he knew since childhood, Al spoke up. "Brother?"

"Huh?" The simple question startled the older Elric out of his thoughts and brought him back on track. "R-Right. Now, have you ever wondered where alchemists get the energy to perform alchemy? I mean, there should be equivalent exchange, but where does the power for transmutations come from? At first, I thought that we alchemist supplied it, but Dad figured out the truth. Inside all of us, there lies a smaller version of the Gate. Alchemists have the ability to open it, crossing worlds and feeding off of the energy of the other world. It happens every time we draw a circle or clap hands. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be redirected."

"But where does that energy come from?" Armstrong asked.

"How do you create a Philosopher's Stone? What is its power source?"

Realization dawned on Mustang. "Human souls."

"Right. When people in that world die, their souls are transferred to the Gate and tapped every time alchemy is used. So even though I knew how to do alchemy, I was unable to, no matter how many times I tried. I decided to start studying rocketry, that's the concept behind what allowed those airships to fly. I thought that maybe there would be a way back home if I could reach outer space."

"What did Dad do?"

"Apparently the old man joined some sort of group called the Thule society that studied ancient legends relating to alchemy and alternate worlds. They're the ones who were behind the attack today. They managed to form a portal by capturing Envy, who followed us through the Gate to kill Dad. They were able to send a group of armored men through before it closed."

"Those must've been the ones who appeared at Lior!" Armstrong exclaimed. "But why did they look so different today?"

"I think it's because we established a proper Gate this time. The beings that inhabited the Gate seemed to fuse with them, corrupting their body, mind and soul. Anyways, I stumbled upon the transmutation circle they used and accidentally activated it, bringing them back to their world."

Al cut in. "I remember! I attached a piece of my soul to one of them. When I slept here, I was conscious on that side of the Gate and met you!"

Winry stared at the two brothers, remembering the time the younger one returned home. _He had such vivid dreams then. That must've been what sent him here to Central to find Ed._

The bedridden alchemist continued. "Yeah, that was the happiest day of the two years I spent there. I wasn't even sure if I succeeded in bringing Al back. Hell, I was starting to wonder if I hadn't made up everything in my head, that I might have been insane!"

Mustang's lips perked into a smile. "You mean you're sane now?"

Edward was about to explode again buy Riza quickly intervened, playing the mediator once more. "Ed, calm down. General, sir, if you keep provoking him I'm going to have to shoot you."

Everyone gasped at her in surprise, the same thought running through their minds as she gave Roy a serious look. _She wouldn't…would she?_

Hawkeye grinned evilly, the same look written on her face as the time when she first adopted Black Hayate and started training him. "Continue Ed."

"Heh. Even though there was now a way for me to get back, once I learned that they planned to invade out world I knew that I couldn't open the Gate for them, no matter how badly I wanted to. I discovered that they were going to try to open the Gate anyway, and went back to stop them. It was then that Dad sacrificed himself and opened the Gate. I guess the old man really wanted to do something for me, after leaving us and all that. A friend helped me steal a smaller airship and I went through the Gate." He paused. "And that's pretty much it."

"What about that bomb?" Mustang questioned. "You seemed to know how destructive it would be."

"It was actually made here, in Amestris. Back when we were searching for the Philosopher's Stone, Al and I came across a scientist named Huskisson who discovered a new, but extremely unstable element called uranium. He made a bomb out of it and sought to bring it to the attention of the military. I refused and tried to destroy it but he performed a human transmutation and disappeared. He must've ended up in that other world. I think that's why the Thule society thought that we would have weapons they could use in their war."

"You made the right choice. If the homunculi had gotten their hands on it…" Mustang trailed off.

Everyone shuddered, knowing that what happened at Lior and Ishval would have paled in comparison to the havoc that may have been caused with that bomb.

Trying to lighten the mood, Al asked "What are you going to do now Brother, now that you're back?"

Riza, in an act of motherly compassion, saw the fatigue that this conversation had caused the older Elric and intervened. "He can worry about that later. Right now he needs some rest." Seeing that he was going to protest, she whipped out her pistol. "No buts."

Ed froze. "Fine. Mustang, did you destroy the Gate?"

"We had our hands occupied searching for you. Don't worry Fullmetal, I'll take care of it right now." Mustang turned to leave.

"Make sure you get some rest." Riza holstered her gun and followed her superior officer out of the room.

The Fullmetal Alchemist sighed. "That Colonel Bastard's gone. Now what am I going to do for fun?"

Armstrong pulled his suit off in one quick motion. Pink diamonds sparked into existence around him as he flexed. "Fear not, Edward Elric. I'll entertain you with the story of my struggle to obtain these, the Armstrong legacy, passed down through the Armstrong family for generations. It is a tale of life and death, a road to survival or extinction!"

As the major continued rambling on, Ed spotted Winry edging towards the exit. "Hey! Where do you think you're going!?" _Don't leave me alone with _him_!_

Freezing for a second, the girl flashed him a sweet smile. "I'm going to pick up the parts for your new leg. I didn't bring another one, you know." The mechanic grabbed Al from behind, nearly yanking his red sweater off. "And I need Al to carry it all. We'll see you later. Bye!" She and Al vanished a heartbeat later, leaving Ed all alone with Armstrong.

"…of trials and hardships. Thus this is how my story begins…"

* * *

**A/N: **The horror!

In case you're wondering how Ed survived at the end of the last chapter, it'll be included in a later chapter.

I know Al wore gloves that had transmutation circles on them, but I'm choosing to mostly ignore that. If he was using the gloves themselves, he wouldn't need to clap his hands to perform alchemy. Not to mention that there were at most two circles (one on each glove), and Al performed more than two kinds of transmutations by clapping his hands. I'm going with the theory that different transmutations require different circles, thus the conclusion that he didn't really use the gloves and performed alchemy without them.

In regards to Ed's mention of his father without swearing, all I have to say is that he realized that his father felt bad for leaving when they were children and tried to make up for it by sending Ed back to Amestris. It's mentioned in the movie that that was his purpose for sacrificing himself and I'm having Ed realize that his father did that because he really was sorry. Hence the more…mild references by Ed about his father.

- The Art of War, opening lines:

War is a grave affair of state,

It is a place of life and death,

A road to survival or extinction,

A matter to be pondered carefully.


End file.
